Hello everybody,
I’ve just started skating the past few months. I’ve had more fun than I think I should have. I though I would share my experience for other first timers. Thank you to everybody that contributes. I’ve been doing a lot of reading here.

Wear your skates! I would put my skates on at home to do normal everyday house stuff until I got comfortable. I got to try a bunch of different obstacles while in the privacy of my own home (tile, stairs, hardwood, wet floors, carpet, bath towels, toys).

Learn to stop in as many ways as you can.

The local rinks that I tried were the worst. The skates were neglected. The staff cared very little about anything. The songs were the exact same in the same order every time we went.

Outdoor skating is hard! The streets are tough! Little hills and curbs look and feel giant the first time you approach on skates. Zombies (people wandering about looking at a cell phone) lurk about everywhere. If you announce that you are passing on the left, expect them to move to the left right where you told them you were going. Don’t trust the “right of way”. Keep yourself safe. Especially at cross walks. I have a feeling most people don’t know/care how the system works.

Rinks seem small once you skate outdoors.

Night skating is magical. I started waiting until dusk so the heat wasn’t so bad. It is fantastic. I get a feeling like I’m floating that I don’t get in the daytime. My favorite section of trail has a long wooden bridge. The fireflys are flashing by the hundreds. The moon and stars shine through the trees. It truly feels magical. I feel like I found something that few people have seen or experienced.

Skating is fun. I’ve been skating everyday that I can. I can’t get enough. The first mile was rough. Now, 10 miles a day isn’t enough.

Practice in crappy conditions. You don’t want your first skate in the rain to happen when you are miles from home. Rough trail/roads. Sidewalk cracks and irregularities. Damp wooden bridges. Pinecones. Mulch. Rocks. There are a lot of obstacles out there. Practice getting run off the trail. Know what it feels like to transition into grass before you need this skill.

I don’t know any other skaters or skating families. I’m sure this will change with time.

Quads. Second hand Moxi Lolly. They are too narrow and long for my feet. I will be getting new/used skates soon. Iíve been trying on as many boots as possible. Iíve been using 80mm Krypto Classics. They run over obstacles better than the 65mm Moxi wheels. The 80mm wheels are heavy. They add a pound to each skate. Most of the trails and roads around here are in very poor condition. The big wheels add a lot of comfort.

I will be skating tonight! Hopefully wth my family. They donít seem to enjoy skating nearly as much as myself. I hope they come around. I would love to have my skating buddies be my family.

I live in a smallish town in Michigan between Detroit and Ann Arbor. It used to be all farms and fields. It is now subdivisions and strip malls. There are a few streetlights here and there. Most people keep their porch light off. I use a handheld white light on its lowest setting with a diffuser on the lens. Iíve tried some powerful lights but I didnt like them as much. Too bright. Seeing a few hundred yard in front of me wasnít needed. The hotspot on the powerful light was too bright to be useful up close.

My favorite light source is the moon. The bike trails are dark enough that the moonlight is bright enough when the conditions are right. I was surprised how well I can see in the darkness. I still take my handheld light because there are sections of trail that intersect roads.

I feel like Iím 7 years old when Iím skating. The early morning runners and bikers are all so nice. Having all the trails all to myself is a different kind of nice. I skated 15 miles in the morning and another 10 miles last night. I need to find a way to make a living doing this.

Quads! I was concerned at first. Scared. I walked the route I planned on taking before skating it for the first time. Pack some shoes just in case. At first, I would avoid the really rough sections of trail. Eventually I skated them on purpose. Just to get some experience on a less than ideal surface. Now, itís not a struggle at all. Itís just the bit of trail on my way to the nice smooth section of trail.

My first venture outdoors was less than 1 mile round trip. I was tired, shaking, hurting. I was so nervous I couldnt stop from digging my toes into my skates. The tension was horrible and painful.

Itís much easier now. Itís my favorite place to skate. The jitters are gone. The trail is right outside. Not having to drive somewhere is a huge plus for me. All those big obstacles look much smaller now. I wouldnít even call them obstacles anymore.

I found that stones are most dangerous when I slow down or stop. Otherwise, they get thrown out of the way by the big soft wheels. Sometimes they make a cartoon ricochet noise. Iím not kidding. It took me a while to figure out what it was.

I learned a new skill! Rolling off of a curb. It was surprisingly easy once I got past the fear of the uneven surface.

Day skating is different than night skating. In the day, I like passing the runners. It makes me feel fast and in shape even though Iím not. I like chasing the bikes. The bikes are a lot harder to catch up to. The people all get familiar. I usually see the same group of random strangers when I go out. Iím sure all of them would stop to help if I needed it.

Water is heavy. My favorite route is 5 miles from home and back. I donít have to carry anything but a house key. I will skate the route multiple times. I can stop at home for anything I need. Itís easy to keep a record of distance traveled.

I also like to spook the local wildlife. It happens a lot. Small furry creatures are everywhere around here. Mostly rabbits and squirrels. The rabbits are fast. They will run the trail in front of me sometimes.

Iíve jumped a few snakes that spooked me. I do have a fear of hitting a deer. The deer usually run the other way. Sometimes they double back.

I feel like Iím getting stronger everyday. Iím losing weight. I like that I donít have to work at it. The health benifits are a byproduct of going out for a bit of fun. Donít let the fear keep you from the fun.

I will be skating tonight. Work got in the way of going out this morning. .

I know you will try it. The heart wants what it wants. You canít stop it.